Open end ratchet wrench



y 8, 1946. HQG. ANDERSON 2 OPEN END RATCHET WRENCH Filed Sept. 30, 1944 INVENTOR HHRRY G- FNVDERsO/V ATTbRNEY Patented May 28, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE OPEN END RATCHET WRENCH Harry G. Anderson, Alameda, Calif. Application September 30, 1944, Serial No. 556,599

(Cl. 81-60) i the dimension between the ends ll of the socket lclalm.

This invention relates to mechanics tools and particularly pertains to wrenches.

It is the principal object of my present invention to provide an improved wrench of the ratchet type which is simple in construction and efilcient in operation.

It is a further object of my present invention to provide an improved ratchet wrench of the open end type in which the jaw can be readily removed and replaced to accommodate nuts or objects of diflerent dimensions.

One form which the invention may assume is exemplified in the following description and illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a wrench embodying the preferred form of my invention with a part of the socket thereof broken away and in section to illustrate certain details of construction.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the wrench.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view partly in section and with parts broken away to disclose the manner of mounting the jaw of the wrench in the socket thereof.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view in perspective showing the manner in which the cooperating ends of the latching ring and socket are formed.

Referring more particularly to the accompanying drawing, 10 indicates an open end ratchet type wrench embodying my invention. This wrench comprises an open end socket ll having an integrally formed handle i2. The socket II is formed with an arcuate opening it which extends to approximately two hundred seventy degrees. This opening is truly concentric about a center located approximately centrally of the socket ll. At the perimeterof the opening I4 the socket H is formed with a latching ring groove 15 which extends completely around the socket at a point closely adjacent to one side face thereof. At the ends it of the socket the groove I5 is outturned for a purpose which will be hereinafter described.

Fitting within the arcuate opening of the socket and rotatable therein is an open end jaw member II. This jaw member has a jaw opening l8 of a formation capable of receiving a nut or other object to be turned by the wrench. In this instance this jaw opening is is shown as to receive nuts, but, however, it is obvious it may be of other formation so as to be able to grip cylindrical objects if desired. It will be noticed that the transverse dimension of the jaw opening l8 at the throat thereof is of a dimension slightly less than The external contour of the jaw i1 is concentric to the arcuate opening I in the socket H, but formed on a radius just slightly less than the radius of the opening N. This is so that the jaw member l'l may rotate in the opening it of the socket II. This external face of the jaw member I! is formed with ratchet teeth iii to cooperate with a pair of spring-pressed pawls 20 carried by the socket ii at diametrically opposite sides thereof. These pawls are movable radially of the socket, but are spring-pressed into engagement with the ratchet teeth It. Each pawl is housed within a cylindrical housing 2| which is threaded into the exterior face of the socket I i with its axis radial to the center of the socket. These pawls are offset laterally, of course, with respect to the latching ring groove l5.

Manifestly, by this construction, when the jaw I1 is engaged with a nut or other object to be turned, turning movement of the socket I I in one direction, or in a counter-clockwise direction with reference to Fig. 1, will have no effect in turning the jaw I! because the pawls 20 will ride over the ratchet teeth l9. However, by turning movement of the socket ii in the opposite or clockwise direction (with reference to Fig. 1), the pawls 20, or at least one of them, will engage the ratchet teeth i9 and turn the jaw l1 in unison with the socket. Obviously by merely turning the wrench over, it may operate to turn the nut in an antiqualities so that it constantly tends to expand.

This latching ring 22 is complemental to the grooves i5 and lia and has outturned ends 23 to engage the continuations of the groove IS in the ends of the socket II. By pressing the ends 23 toward each other, the ring can be contracted in the groove l5a so as to be disengaged from the groove ii in the socket, thus enabling the jaw to be removed from the opening I! in the socket ll. While in such contracted condition, the ring and the jaw I] can be inserted into the opening l4, and when the ring is permitted to expand into the groove IS, the jaw ll will be effectively latched in position. In this condition the latching ring 22, as shown in Fig. 3, will serve as a bearing member rotatably supporting the law a I! in the opening M of the socket II.-

In operation oi. my wrench, it is constructed and assembled as shown in the drawing and a law I! having the proper size law opening it is selected. The latching ring 22 is then expanded over the perimeter of the jaw l1 and allowed to contract into the groove. a thereof. The ring is then further contracted so that it is of a diameter to enable it to be fitted into the opening ll of the socket II. It, together with the Jaw I1, is then inserted into the opening it of the socket H until it registers with the groove IS in the socket. It is then permitted to expand into the socket to latch the Jaw l'l therein, but permitting the jaw 11 to revolve in the opening 14 oi the socket ll. When so expanded, the ends 23 or the latching ring 22 will engage the continuations oi the groove it in the ends it of the socket, latching the ring 22 against rotation. The

pawls 20 will engage the ratchet teeth IQ of the Jaw l1, and when the wrench is turned in one direction, the socket ll may revolve independently of the jaw H, but when it is turned in the opposite direction, the socket II and the jaw il will turn in unison. This, of course, will enable the wrench to eflectively operate as a ratchet type wrench. H

In actual practice I have found a wrench constructed in accordance with my invention to be extremely efllcient and extremely useful, and while I have shown the preferred form of my invention, it is to be understood that various changes may be made in its construction by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit; of the invention as defined in the appended c a Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A wrench oi the character described comprising a socket having an arcuate opening in one end thereof. said opening extending through an angle greater than one'hundred eighty degrees, an open end Jaw fitting within said opening and having an external perimeter formed concentrically with said opening and extending approximately through the same are but oi a radial dimension less than the radial dimension of said opening whereby it may rotate therein, the external perimeter oi said jaw being formed with ratchet teeth, the adjacent peripheral faces of said law and socket being formed with complementary circumscribing grooves, a latching ring having inherent spring qualities adapted to nest in said grooves and removably latch the jaw in position in the socket while enabling the Jaw to rotate therein. the groove in the Jaw being such as to enable the latching ring to be contracted and disengaged from the groove in the socket,

said ring normally tending to engage both of said tion against rotation.

HARRY G. ANDERSON. 

